Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the production of real-time three dimensional live video.
Description of the Related Art
All references cited in this specification, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background.
Sporting event broadcasting has increasingly made use of graphic objects overlaid on two-dimensional (2D) video production streams, such as with NASCAR car tracking and with American football first and ten lines. The graphic insertion content can be static or dynamic and may include boundary lines, such as the “ten yard line,” hand drawn graphics, such as Madden notes and depictions, ball indicators and more. The graphics are targeted to the viewing audience to provide an improved viewing experience.
With the growing popularity of three-dimensional (3D) motion pictures, presentation of live sporting events in 3D is sought as a desirable new format. In a 3D presentation the viewer becomes immersed in the environment in a manner, and with a sensation, not attainable with standard two dimensional viewing. Technology commonly used in the presentation of 3D motion pictures relies on the separation of images presented to each eye by the use of polarized filtering glasses having different filters for each eye. The left eye filter blocks content intended for the right eye while a right eye filter blocks content intended for the left eye. Various alternative methods for filtering are also available such as active glasses alternately shuttering the image to each eye as the images are turned on and off. In this manner the human brain combines the images to form the illusion of three dimensional space and objects.
Previously, graphic content has been inserted at predetermined (possibly multiple) specific depths using fixed parallax of the graphic elements. The 3D television production format aided by the insertion of 3D graphics into the 3D stereoscopic video stream has been not been solved. There is currently no method or system capable of inserting 3D graphics into a live stereoscopic video stream for broadcasting in such a manner that the perceived location of the 3D graphics corresponds with the perceived location of the scene being viewed. As three-dimensional viewing becomes more popular, there exists a need to accurately acquire, supplement, produce and broadcast live events in 3D overcoming all the short comings of current production methods used to insert graphics into 3D video content streams.